Indicator and safety coupling for rotary drills



Jan. 19 1926.

G. A. GOLDSMITH INDICATOR AND SAFETY COUPLING FOR ROTARY DRILLS Filed.Feb. 4., 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,244

G. A. GOLDSMITH INDICATOR AND SAFETY COUPLING FOR ROTARY DRILLS FiledFeb. 4, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWWMXQM 1,570,244 G. A. GOLDSMITHINDICATOR AND SAFETY COUPLING FOR ROTARY DRILLS Jan. 19 1926.

Filed Feb. 4., 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 k wfifi yww a w y/M688 g M 2 1 1 1WWW x 3 TA k i y; k 2 x? xx? w zfqwvg $2 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES GARY ALLEN GOLDSMITH, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

INDICATOR AND SAFETY COUPLING FOR ROTARY DRILLS.

Application filed February 4, 1824. Serial No. 690,508.

' tion.

My invention relates to drill stems and consists of the novel featuresherein shown,

described and claimed.

An object. of my invention is to make a drill stem having means forwarning the operators when the stem breaks, and having means for pullingout the lower end of the stem after it is broken.

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a drill stem embodying the principlesof my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view ofa drill stem and drill in a well hole,being operated by a rotary rig and showing a break in the drill stemnear its lower end so that the lower end of the drill stem will notrotate and showing the application of my invention to warn the operatorsat the rig that the drill stem is broken and showing the internalconnection which is not broken by the rotary strain and which will pullthe broken end of the drill stem and bit out of the hole.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail dia metrical of a well holeshowing the details of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 andlooking downwardly.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross sectional detail through the well casingand drill stem on a line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and looking upwardly.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the upper valve plug shown in Fig. 3. V

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the lower oper ating head shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a view analogous to Fig. 3 and showing a break in the drillstem and showing how the lifting rod connecting the upper valve plug andlower 0 erating head at the opposite sides of the reak stops the watercirculation to indicate to the operators that the drill stem is brokenand forms a connection between the upper part of the drill stem and thebroken off part which will lift the broken 02 part when the drill stemis removed from the well.

Referring to Fig. 1, the bit 1 is connected to a drill stem section 2and the coupling members 3, 4 and 5 connect the drill stem section 2 tothe drill stem section 6.

Referring to Fig. 3, the coupling members 3, 4 and 5 are shown indiametrical longitudinal sectional detail.

The upper end of the member 3 is internally screw-threaded to form thepin box 7 and the screw-threaded pin 8 is screwed into this box. Thebore 9 is formed from the upper end of the member 4 and is somewhatlarger than the water passage to form a spring seat shoulder 11 and theextreme upper end of the member 4 is bored out and machined to form theinternal screw-thread An expansion spring 14 is mounted in the bore 9.The lower end of the member 5 has a bore 15 matching the bore 9 and anexternal screw-thread 16 to match the thread 13. The operating head 17is loosely mounted in the bore 15. A spring seat comprising a disc orwasher 18 is laced upon the spring 14. The operating ead 17 is a solidcylinder having radial longitudinal ribs 19, said ribs extending belowthe lower end of the cylinder and resting upon the washer 18. The bores9 and 15 are sufiicient to allow a sliding movement of the operatinghead on account of the jolts from drilling and to make allowance forvariations of the screw threaded connections of the drill stem sectionand coupling.

The lifting rod 20 is screwed into the upr end of the head 17 and firmlyseated by ock nut 21. The upper end of the bore 15 forms a taperedshoulder 22 and a smaller bore 23 extends from the shoulder 22 to theupper end of the member 5. The rod 20 extends loosely through the bore23. The drill stem section 6 is screwed into the upper end of the member5 and may be of considerable length. The coupling members 24, 25, 26 and27 are assembled and screwed upon the upper end ofv the drill stemsectlon 6.

The threads 28 and 29 at the ends of ti e drill stem section 6 are theordinary th used in such work. A bore 30 ex through the member 24. Themember 2 x connected to the member 24 by the pi; and box construction31., there being a small e 32 through the lower end of the met and alarger bore 33 extending bore 32 upwardly, there being a wt 0 34 at the111nction of the bores 32 ans; so.

A valve plug 35 works loosely in the bore 33 and has a valve end 36 tofit the seat 34. The valve head 35 is a cylindrical body havinglongitudinally extending radial ribs 37 to fit loosely in the bore 33and allow the water to pass the valve head when the valve is open. Themember 26 is connected to the member by the screw-thread construction 38and has a bore 39 forming an extension of the bore 33 for the valve head35 to operate in.

The rod 20 is screw-threaded through the valve head 35 and has a jambnut 40 upon its upper end against the valve head to hold the valve headsolidly in an adjusted posi tion. The bore 39 extends some distance intothe lower end of the member 26 and a smaller bore 41 extends theremaining distance to the upper end of the member. The coupling member27 is connected to the member 26 by pin and box construction 42 and adrill stem section may be connected to t the upper end of the member 27in the ordinary way.

The extreme upper end of the drill stem has the ordinar swivel head 43to which a hose 44 is attac ed and the other end of the hose 44 isconnected to the pump mechanism 45 so as to circulate water downwardlythrough the drill stem to the bit 46 at the bottom of the well hole. Thedrill stem 47 is being operated by a'rotary rig 48 in the usual way. I

It frequently happens in the operation of a drill with a rotary rig thatthe drill stem breaks and the o erators have no notice of the break and50 t e rig keeps on grinding with the u per part of the .drill stemoperating and tlie lower broken oif part not operating. Of course thisaccomplishes nothing but wearing out the equipment.

When a drill stem is e nipped in accord ance with the principles of myinvention and the drill stem section 6 breaks between the upper assembly48 and the lower assembly 49 of my apparatus, as indicated at 50, therod 20 will not be broken by the rotation of the upper part of the drillstem and if the upper part-of the drill stem is moved upwardly the valve36 will seat upon the shoulder 34 and stop the circulation of the waterand indicate to the operators that the drill stem is broken. Then if thedrill stem is raised the rod 20 will lift the broken off end of thedrill stem out of the well.

The drill stem section 6 maybe of any desired length and there may be annumber of the constructions incorpora into a long drill stem. Usuallythe drill stems break near their lower ends and leave a short piece ofdrill stem and the bit in the Well hole.

The upward assembly 48 comprises the coupling members 24, 25, 26 and 27,including the valve 35 and the valve seat 34, and the lower assembly 49includes the coupling members 3, 4 and 5, including the lifting head 17and the coo rating elements.

Thus I have pro uced a drill stem comprising an upper assembly ofcouplings including a valve construction and a lower assembly ofcouplings having a lifting head with limited upward movement, a stringof drill stem sections connecting the assemblies and a lifting rodconnectlng the valve to the lifting head through the string'of drillstems and normally holding the valve open, so that if the string ofdrill stems breaks between the assemblies and the upper part is raisedslightly the valve will close and if the drill stem is removed; from thewell the broken ofi the lifting rod.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

part will be raised by I claim: l 1. A drill stem comprisingan upperassembly of couplings including a valve construction and a lowerassembly of couplings having a lifting head with limited upwardmovement, a string of drill stem sections connecting the assemblies anda liftin rod connecting the valve to the lifting headthrough the stringof drill stems and normally holding the valve open so that if the stringof drill stems breaks between the assemblies and the upper art is raisedslightly the valve willclose and if the drill stem is removed from thewell'the broken will he raised by the lifting rod.

2. A drill stem comprlsin an upper assembly of couplings inclu ing ahead off part mounted to reciprocate, and a seat limiting the downwardmovement of the head, a

lower assembly of couplings having ahead

